On the Scottish west coast, the Dougil family was born among the ancient Dalriadan clans. Their name comes from the personal nameDougal. The Gaelic form of the name is Mac Dhughaill and literally means son of Dougal.

Dougil Early Origins

The surname Dougil was first found in Galloway (Gaelic: Gall-ghaidhealaibh), an area of southwestern Scotland, now part of the Council Area of Dumfries and Galloway, that formerly consisted of the counties of Wigtown (West Galloway) and Kirkcudbright (East Galloway), where they were descended from Dugall eldest son of Somerled, first Lord of the Isles, and his son Duncan who received the lands of Lorn.The Clan was a bitter foe of Robert the Bruce, who made a narrow escape during one battle with the MacDougals only by discarding his cloak. The brooch of this cloak, now known as the Brooch of Lorn, is a treasured possession of the Chief of the Clan. The Clan faced heavy retaliation and was stripped of their lands once Robert the Bruce secured the Scottish throne. The lands were restored to the Clan upon the death of the king, but passed to the Stewarts in 1388 when the last member of the senior branch of MacDougals died without issue.

Dougil Spelling Variations

Dougil Spelling Variations

In various documents Dougil has been spelled Since medieval scribes still spelled according to sound, records from that era contain an enormous number of spelling variations. MacDougall, MacDowall, MacDowell, MacDugald, MacDill and many more.

Dougil Early History

Dougil Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Dougil research. Another 307 words (22 lines of text) covering the years 1175, 1244 and 1316 are included under the topic Early Dougil History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dougil Early Notables (pre 1700)

Dougil Early Notables (pre 1700)

Another 44 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Dougil Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Dougil In Ireland

Dougil In Ireland

Some of the Dougil family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

The Great Migration

Significant portions of the populations of both the United States and Canada are still made up of the ancestors of Dalriadan families. Some of those in Canada originally settled the United States, but went north as United Empire Loyalists in the American War of Independence. The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw the ancestors of many Scots on both sides of the border begin to recover their collective national heritage through Clan societies and highland games. Some of the first North American settlers carried this name or one of its variants: Ralph, Patrick and Mary MacDougal settled in Charles Town [Charleston], South Carolina in 1767; Dougal and Hugh MacDougal settled in Charles Town in 1767.

Motto

Motto

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

The Dougil Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Dougil Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.